Posted by A botanical being unregulated doesn’t mean it’s unsafe. As a consumer, it’s your responsibility to look out for yourself and vet kratom vendors at the same time. The Kratom Consumer Protection Act allows you to do exactly that in one fell swoop. It regulates the manufacturing, sale and distribution of kratom products by establishing guidelines for consumer safety and quality standards.
Shady vendors rely on ignorance and assuming the best in the hopes that consumers will overlook red flags. Whether you’re new to kratom or want to brush up on regulations, the KCPA shows you what to keep in mind. Inform yourself all about it with this review, and come away ready to choose a reliable kratom vendor.
Guidelines of the KCPA
The Kratom Consumer Protection Act (KCPA) establishes the following guidelines for the sale of kratom products:
- Exclusive to 18+ only
- Contains complete food labeling indicating all ingredients, including the presence and origin of kratom
- Banning contaminated or adulterated kratom products
- Prohibiting synthetic kratom or synthetic kratom alkaloids
- Prohibiting the mixture of scheduled substances in the particular state
- Prohibiting more than 2% of 7-hydroxymitragynine.
- Disclosing the amount of mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine.present
A look through the front and back labels can indicate whether all of these are checked off. If you see an ingredient that’s not mitragynine or 7-hydroxymitragynine but ends in “nine,” it’s a kratom alkaloid. The 2% of 7-hydroxymitragynine is referring to that alkaloid in whole-leaf or full-spectrum kratom and reflects close to its tiny percentage after mitragynine.
In other cases, it’s either a necessary ingredient for formulation or a synthetic or semi-synthetic kratom alkaloid. The difference in this boils down to treating kratom (plant-based) more leniently than the more concentrated, potent, opioid-like kratom alkaloids, such as 7-hydroxymitragynine.
Protection at the State Level
Kratom is 100% legal under federal law and there’s a Federal KCPA. As of this writing, the following states have a modified version of the KCPA:
- Georgia
- Arizona
- Nevada
- Utah
Remember when we were talking about the difference in legal treatment of kratom and kratom-based alkaloids? Add to that the Federal Analogue Act and antis say that the concentrated alkaloids are more addictive than morphine. So the KCPA only applies to kratom products – that is, those that derive directly from mitragyna speciosa leaves – and excludes kratom-based or derived alkaloids.
Much of the problem is people buying whatever claims to be uber-powerful without knowing what they’re in for. Those news stories about illicit substances found in kratom products and kratom alkaloid products (adulterated) or contaminated are what I’m talking about. They make people sick and even send them to the hospital because the formula isn’t clean. In one cases, minors were getting a hold of Feel Free kratom shots from their local gas station and becoming addicted.
It’s these few bad apples that make kratom seem dangerous rather than the vendors themselves. Even so, I’m an advocate of being aware of what we put into our bodies, and kratom is no exception.
What About States Where Kratom Is Legal But Don’t Have the KCPA?
It’s common to find most other U.S. don’t have their version of the kCPA. They still allow kratom, but they tend to have their own rules – e.g., in Tennessee it’s legal for 21+ – or certain areas within have banned kratom. When you visit local shops, they may have unspoken rules about kratom that change from time to time depending on oversight and enforcement.
Once Warned, Can a Vendor Make a Comeback?
You may have heard of a kratom vendor receiving a warning letter from the FDA, even after years of success. Yes, sometimes a vendor messes up. That doesn’t mean they can’t return, but it sure looks bad.
The FDA letter allows them the opportunity to address FTC concerns. One main issue is unsubstantiated claims in their marketing – specifically, advertisements and labelling about the kratom. That misbranding makes them unapproved kratom products that misinform consumers about what to expect.
What Happens In Lieu of Recalls of Regulated Products
Kratom is unregulated, so the process of recalling products doesn’t apply. Instead, if certain kratom products by a vendor are making people sick – say, specific batches – they can sue for damages. But if the vendor itself has to go, then the FBI conducts a seizure.
There have been plenty of regulated products that have undergone recalls. Unfortunately, it takes someone (or many people) consuming the product and getting sick before there’s a recall or seizure.
A Safe and Premium-Quality Vendor You Can Trust
A reliable kratom vendor wants to inform and empower users. At Kratom Experts, we don’t pick just any run-of-the-mill vendor – we look to those that go above and beyond. That’s why one of our top choices is Real Botanicals. There’s no mystery, deception, or pretense in how they make their products, and their quality blows most other vendors out of the water.
Also check out “Dealing with Legal Restrictions on Kratom, 7-OH, and Mushrooms”